The proposed EU long-term budget (MFF) deprioritises climate and the environment, emphasising competitiveness, security and defence instead. Climate action is framed mainly through industrial decarbonisation under the Clean Industrial Deal, while wider environmental goals, especially biodiversity, are sidelined despite large financing needs. Estimates point to an annual €344 billion climate investment gap and a further €460–630 billion required, yet the European Commission’s claim of €700 billion in green spending is inflated by greenwashing and broad exemptions. Flexibilising the MFF and merging environmental programmes further threatens ambition.
This paper reviews the horizontal environmental safeguards and evaluates climate and environmental provisions in the budget’s two largest programmes.
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Table of contents
1. Horizontal climate and environmental provisions
A. Horizontal spending target for climate and the environment
B. The Do-No-Significant-Harm principle
2. Climate and environment within the main programmes
C. National and Regional Partnership Fund
D. European Competitiveness Fund
E. Other programmes
Conclusion: leading the change from the structure